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Wyoming Lawmakers Move to Rein In Crypto ATMs After Millions Lost to Scams
Law enforcement agencies across Wyoming are raising urgent concerns after residents lost more than $3 million to cryptocurrency ATM scams in 2025 alone. In response, State Representative Ken Clouston is leading a legislative effort to place these automated kiosks under the direct supervision of the Wyoming Division of Banking. The proposal comes amid a sharp national increase in fraud tied to crypto kiosks, with federal data showing losses exceeding $333 million last year. Au
Feb 44 min read


Operators Warn Finland’s Proposed Gambling Safeguards Could Drive Players to Black Market
Several international gambling operators have voiced strong concerns over proposed player protection rules in Finland, warning that overly restrictive measures could undermine the country’s newly forming regulated market by pushing players toward illegal operators. SkillOnNet and Wildz Group both argue that the proposals risk weakening channelisation by making licensed gambling less attractive than unregulated alternatives. The concerns were raised in response to a consultati
Feb 43 min read


Banque Havilland Loses UK Appeal Over Qatar Currency Plot as Tribunal Slashes Fine
Luxembourg-based Banque Havilland has failed to overturn sanctions imposed by Britain’s financial watchdog over an alleged scheme connected to efforts to weaken Qatar’s currency, though a UK tribunal has significantly reduced the financial penalty. In a ruling issued on Tuesday, London’s Upper Tribunal rejected the bank’s appeal against the Financial Conduct Authority’s findings but lowered the fine to £4mn from the original £10mn. The tribunal also upheld penalties imposed o
Feb 42 min read


Queens Accountant Sentenced for Laundering Millions for Chinese Network Tied to Mexican Cartel
Federal authorities today imposed a two-year prison sentence on a New York City accountant for her participation in an expansive Chinese money laundering operation that moved tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds through the U.S. financial system. Rui Fang Yu, 40, of Queens, admitted to helping transfer more than $20 million derived from international narcotics trafficking. Investigators determined that the money stemmed from the sale of heroin and cocaine by a U.S.-ba
Feb 44 min read


Philippines Faces Renewed FATF Scrutiny as Central Bank Warns of Grey List Risk
The governor of the Philippines’ central bank has warned that the country faces a real possibility of being placed back on the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list as it approaches its next international evaluation. Speaking on Monday in comments reported by the Philippine News Agency, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr. stressed the importance of sustained compliance, telling reporters, “we have to do what we need to do to show FATF that we’re doing ever
Feb 42 min read


Kuwait Court Hands Down Seven-Year Sentences and Over $35m in Fines in Online Gambling and Money Laundering Case
A criminal court in Kuwait has imposed seven-year prison sentences on nine individuals convicted of running an online gambling platform and laundering the proceeds of illegal activity, in what authorities characterised as an organised criminal enterprise. In addition to the custodial sentences, the court ordered each of the nine defendants to pay a fine of KD1m (approximately $3.3m). This brings the combined personal fines to KD9m (around $29.7m). The court also levied a
Feb 31 min read


Italy Plans Sweeping Reform to Unify Land-Based Gambling Rules Nationwide
Italy is preparing to introduce a far-reaching overhaul of its land-based gambling sector, with the aim of harmonising regulations across the country’s 20 regions and more than 110 municipalities. The government is expected to publish a draft decree setting out a single national framework for slot machines, bingo halls and video lottery terminal (VLT) systems, which would apply uniformly to all franchise operators. The draft decree has been drawn up following almost two y
Feb 33 min read


Bank Negara Malaysia Penalizes Four Institutions USD 273,614 for AML Reporting Failures
Bank Negara Malaysia has imposed administrative monetary penalties and compounds amounting to USD 273,614 on four separate entities for breaching statutory requirements related to the reporting of suspicious financial transactions. The enforcement actions involve MBSB Bank Berhad, Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank), Boardroom Corporate Services Sdn Bhd, and Ilham Secretarial Services, all of which were found to have fallen short in identifying
Feb 34 min read


EPPO Probes Alleged Customs Fraud and Corruption Network at Port of Antwerp
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Brussels has launched a major investigation into alleged customs fraud, corruption, and document forgery linked to operations at the Port of Antwerp, one of Europe’s largest maritime hubs. The case, code-named “Steamboat,” centers on suspicions that a network operating within the port orchestrated a large-scale scheme that caused significant losses to the European Union’s financial interests. On 20 January 2026, acting und
Feb 32 min read


Tunisian MPs Table Draft Law to Sharply Tighten Controls on Online and Land-Based Gambling
A bloc of 23 members of Tunisia’s parliament has put forward a draft law designed to impose far stricter controls on gambling and betting activities, with a strong emphasis on the online environment, as the country looks to rein in illegal platforms and shield vulnerable segments of society. The proposal, formally submitted on 19 January 2026, would amend Decree-Law No. 74-20 of 1974, the legislation that currently regulates fairs, gaming rooms and lotteries. The MPs behind
Feb 22 min read


South Korea Expands English Disclosure Rules to Strengthen Market Integrity and AML Defences
South Korea has approved a broad package of regulatory changes aimed at reinforcing the credibility of its capital markets and tightening its anti-money laundering framework, with the Financial Services Commission finalizing the revised rules on January 28, 2026. A central feature of the reforms is a significant expansion of mandatory English-language disclosures for listed companies, a move intended to dismantle long-standing linguistic barriers that have limited internation
Feb 25 min read


Australian Authorities Dismantle $62 Million ATM Money Laundering Syndicate in Landmark Case
A massive money laundering operation that funneled $62 million through automated teller machines across Victoria has been dismantled, resulting in significant prison sentences for the main perpetrators. Victoria Police and federal investigators traced the movement of illicit funds during a period of strict public health restrictions, uncovering a sophisticated network that exploited the convenience of intelligent deposit machines. The probe revealed that three men were respon
Feb 24 min read


EU Designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as Terrorist Group, Orders Asset Freezes and Sanctions
European Union foreign ministers reached a landmark agreement on January 29, 2026, to formally designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, while simultaneously imposing immediate sanctions on 21 individuals and entities linked to Iran’s security apparatus. The decision includes the freezing of all assets held within the bloc’s 27 member states by Iran’s Minister of the Interior, the Prosecutor General and the Chief of Police. European official
Feb 24 min read


Brazil Shuts Down Over 25,000 Illegal Betting Websites as Regulators Ramp Up Enforcement in 2025
Brazilian authorities dramatically increased their campaign against unlawful gambling activity throughout 2025, blocking more than 25,000 illegal betting platforms as the country completed its first full year operating under a regulated sports betting regime. Figures released by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), which operates under the Ministry of Finance, show that enforcement actions were carried out in close collaboration with the National Telecommunications
Jan 303 min read


Kuwait Court Hands Down Seven-Year Sentences and More Than $35m in Fines in Online Gambling and Money Laundering Case
A criminal court in Kuwait has imposed seven-year prison sentences on nine individuals convicted of running an online gambling platform and laundering the proceeds through a complex financial network, in a case described by authorities as an organised criminal scheme. In addition to the custodial sentences, the court ordered each defendant to pay a fine of KD1m (approximately $3.3m). The combined personal fines total KD9m (around $29.7m). The court also levied a separate
Jan 301 min read


Chainalysis Uncovers $16.1bn in Activity Tied to Vast Chinese Crypto Laundering Networks
New research from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has identified specialised underground groups linked to Chinese money laundering operations that processed more than $16.1bn in transaction volume during the 2025 calendar year. According to the findings, these networks handled an average of roughly $44m per day and relied on at least 1,799 active digital wallet addresses to sustain their activity. Chainalysis said the growth of these organisations has dramatically o
Jan 305 min read


German Authorities Raid Deutsche Bank Offices in Sweeping Sanctions and Money Laundering Probe
German federal police, together with investigators from the Federal Criminal Police Office, carried out wide-ranging searches at Deutsche Bank’s corporate offices in Frankfurt and Berlin on January 28, 2026. The operation was ordered by prosecutors in Frankfurt and is directed at unidentified managers and employees suspected of breaching national financial laws. Investigators are examining whether the bank enabled transactions for foreign entities connected to individuals und
Jan 304 min read


Luxembourg Tightens Identity Verification Rules With Circular 792 quater
The Luxembourg Registration Duties, Estates and VAT Authority has released a major regulatory clarification through Circular 792 quater, tightening the rules governing customer identification and identity verification for all professionals under its supervision. The circular reinforces compliance with the amended Law of 12 November 2004 on combating money laundering and terrorist financing, with a particular focus on the realities of digital finance and complex legal arrangem
Jan 304 min read


Argentine Football Rocked by Major Financial Scandal as AFA Faces Money Laundering Allegations
Argentina’s football establishment has been plunged into one of the gravest crises in its history after the Argentine Football Association (AFA) became the subject of sweeping allegations involving dirty money, serious financial irregularities, and potential money laundering. The controversy has erupted at a particularly delicate time, with the national team building toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the country’s football leadership now facing intense scrutiny both at home
Jan 292 min read


EU Anti-Fraud Probe Exposes Large-Scale Vehicle Smuggling Network Supplying Russia
The European Anti-Fraud Office has coordinated an extensive multinational investigation that has uncovered the unlawful export of 766 transport vehicles to Russia in direct breach of existing trade restrictions. The inquiry was launched after Polish authorities detected irregular patterns in the export of used vehicles, which prompted deeper scrutiny into the destinations declared by exporters. Investigators ultimately uncovered a highly organized logistics operation that rel
Jan 295 min read
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